Comments on: The Tragedy In Colorado and Policy Failure

By: Jill SH

Jill SH — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:59:55 +0000

Well, yes. Let’s talk about the 2nd amendment. Specifically the first 18 words:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people…”

Well regulated, necessary, security, free State, people. Nowhere does it say individual or even person (singular).

Seems to strongly imply a social contract of duty and responsibility to the security of the free State (omg, the government?).

How about anyone who wants to own a gun be automatically enrolled in the National Guard of their state, where they can be trained in the proper use of their weapon of choice, and the sense of responsibility for that weapon can be instilled?

Another thing often left unacknowledged is the need for more, better, and assertive mental health treatment in this country. Apart from the mental states of the Aurora shooter, or Gabby Giffords’ attacker, the speaker on Diane Rehm the other morning said the largest single number of deaths due to guns is suicides.

By: davesnyd

davesnyd — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:36:32 +0000

I’m not disagreeing with the primary thrust. But your strict constitutionalist interpretation of the 2nd amendment opens up the question, then, of does the 1st cover speech over telephones? Television? The Internet?

The more relevant question about the 2nd is how the militia clause should be interpreted. The amendment can be viewed as primarily saying that everyone has the right to join the military, as opposed to then-common practices in European countries of excluding minorities from the opportunity to do so.

By: Sherman Dorn

Sherman Dorn — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:38:16 +0000

Jared,

I’m in favor of reasonable regulations in areas such as assault-weapon and large magazines. But the tragedy in Aurora is the wrong lever for that, for several reasons. The typical gun death we should worry about from a policy stance is the type Chicago citizens are seeing increasingly. Far more people have been murdered in Chicago this year than were murdered last week in Aurora.

By: Karen Sumpter

Karen Sumpter — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:37:47 +0000

I voted in my first election in 1972. Nixon had already been reelected long before I got to the polls – but I voted anyway. I’ve been voting regularly since, though the candidates I support rarely win, because I regard it a duty of citizenship.

However I’ve recently begun to question whether there is any point. No matter who I vote for or who wins – nothing will be done about anything of importance. The world will continue on the path to 6 degrees and a major extinction event. The US will continue as the most violent society in the developed world and more innocents will be sacrificed to a twisted interpretation of the 2nd amendment. Banks, corporations, and the 1% will continue their program to destroy the middle class and return us to a type of feudalism.

Fortunately, I won’t live long enough to see the worst of it. But I despair for my child and my nieces and nephews and their children. How did humanity lose out to the forces of greed and banality?

At least some people keep trying to get the word out. Keep up the good fight!